Damar Hamlin Status this morning: Will the Bills' Safety play football again?

Buffalo Bills' safety Damar Hamlin has been through a lot in the past month, much more than any sportsman should go through. The second-year pro suffered a cardiac arrest in week 17 of the 2023 NFL season in a match between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. However, thanks to top-notch medical care and sheer luck, Hamlin survived the ordeal and recuperated from home.

What happened to Hamlin is scary for everyone that plays professional sports, and it shook the NFL to the core. So it begs the question, will Damar Hamlin ever play football again at the highest level? That's a question we will answer in a jiffy, and you'll need to keep reading to find out.

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Will the Bills' Safety play football again?

While the thought of playing football once again might be the furthest thing from Damar Hamlin's family's mind, we have to consider everything the young safety put in to play the game he loves.

Hamlin stood out at the University of Pittsburgh, playing some roles on the Pitts defence. He was a stud at Pittsburgh, but no team elected to take a chance on him in the 2021 NFL Draft. Luckily, the Buffalo Bills signed him as an undrafted free agent, and he took off from there.

Damar Hamlin had a decent first season with the Bills, not setting off fireworks but contributing nonetheless. However, in his second season, the Mckees Rocks native showed his class. Hamlin became a key part of the Bills' secondary, and he kept growing in stature until that fateful evening game against the Bengals. The 24-year-old came a long way to play the game he loves, so it would be cruel for him to lose that chance after fewer than two full seasons.

However, sentimental value aside, professional doctors have looked at Hamlin's situation and given their advice.

One of Hamlin's doctors at UC Medical Center said the following regarding Hamlin's chances of playing football once again:

"It's entirely too early to have that conversation. The best outcome is back to who he was before this all happened." said Dr William Knight IV of UC Medical Center.

Irrespective of the timing, it is hard to imagine Damar Hamlin playing organized football of NFL magnitude. The sportsman earned a new lease on life, and it would be unfair for him and his family to expect him to hop right into the Gridiron without proper precautions. It's a developing story, and we sincerely hope that the young Bill will be handled with utmost care.

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How was Damar Hamlin performing this season?

It looks almost a hundred per cent likely that Damar Hamlin's 2022/2023 NFL season is over due to circumstances beyond his control. As such, it is possible to reflect on his performances this season.

Hamlin came into the season as a spare part of the Bills' elite safety crop, but it took only a short time for Hamlin to distinguish himself from the rest. In what can only be described as the hunger that comes when you aren't signed, Hamlin absolutely bodied his way into the Bills' starting lineup.

He posted a solid stat line of 91 tackles (63 solo and 28 assists), 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and countless deflected passes. Before he got hurt, Hamlin proved that he belonged at this level.